Sunday, October 23, 2011

Cold War Redux: The trial of the alleged "Merchant of Death"

Who is the real Viktor Bout?A former KGB official residing in Moscow who says he has “friends” in high places in Russia?The ultimate capitalist, who once had the world’s largest arms transport fleet and was contracted by the U.S. Pentagon during the Iraq War?Or a puppet on the international stage in a show trial reenacting the Cold War?There is no denying the tug of war between the Russia and the U.S. during the extradition battle in the Thai courts. The process was prolonged as both countries flexed their muscle and weighed in heavily. Hence, Bout was not extradited to the U.S. until November 2010.

More and more Russian agents, primarily old KGB Cold War spooks”, have immigrated to the Unites States either to suck up the perks of capitalism, or deal arms to Americans.When the Soviet Union was still intact, Russians with connections to higher power, such as Victor Bout, lived a very capitalist lifestyle, since it was truly a totalitarian form of government with a few percentage were rich.I’m sure he came to America to continue in that lifestyle.Or he might deal arms, such as a Russian “sleeper” agent was dealing certain Barret .50 Caliber infrared scoped in Texas a few years ago, she is back in Russia now because of a spy exchange.It seems that more and more Russians are coming to America to pursue riches that they never got in the former Soviet blocks or to continue in their former lifestyle as a rich high-ranking KGB officer.